Feed-guide for type-writing machines



(No Model.)

A. O. THOMAS.

FEED GUIDE FOR TYPE WRITING MAGHINES. No. 335,488. Patented Feb. 2,1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADDISON O. THOMAS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FEED-GUIDE FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,488. dated February2, 1886.

Application filed July 3. 1885.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADDISON C. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Feed-Guide for Type-\Vriting Machines;and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

My invention is designed to aid in the execution of the work of anyvariety of upright or key-board type-writing machines, by afford ing aguide to the feed-roller of the machine of the paper as the latter isrequired, thus facilitating the labor of the operator, and enabling theattainment of increased speed by permitting undivided attention to thekey-board.

It is my object, also, to provide a device which,without being ofnecessity a fixture or integral portion of any variety of type-writingmachine,shall be attachable to and detachable from all the differentvarieties, and serve equally well with any one to which it may beapplied, to facilitate the work of such machine, in the mannerhereinbefore described.

My invention consists in the general construction of my device; and italso consistsin certain details of construction and combinations ofparts, all as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is an edge view of my improveddevice, showing in section the portion of a type-writing machine towhich it is attached; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the front side ofthe same; Fig. 3, a similar View showing the rear side; Fig. 4, avertical section through the parts forming the adjusting and attachingfeatures of the device, showing also the portion of the type-writingmachine to which it is attached; and Fig. 5, a detail view showing incross-section through its adjusting means one of the adjustable lateralguides of the device.

A and A are respectively a cylinder and feed-roller of a type-writingmachine, and B is the supporting-plate for the paper provided upon suchmachines.

0 is a flat plate, preferably of thin sheet metal, attachable to thesupporting-plate B,

by means hereinafter described, and provided with lateral guides O, inthe form of angular flanges, adjustable laterally upon the plate 0Serial No. 170,594. (No model.)

by slots t, provided in their rear portions, (see Figs. 3 and 5,) andthumb-screws t. On its rear surface the plate 0 is provided with means,hereinbefore mentioned, whereby it may be securely but detachablyaffixed to the supporting-plate B, and comprising strips of sheetmetal,s,bent at one end to form hooks p,which fasten securely upon thelower edge of the plate B, and having longitudinal slots 8, throughwhichextend thumb-screws 0' upon the plate 0, whereby the plate 0, whenthe strips 8 are affixed to a type-writing machine on itssupporting-plate B, has a longitudinal motion within the limits oftheslots, and to such an extent as may be required to afford properadjustment. To enable the strips 8, after being hooked at their lowerextremities to the plate B, to remain firmly attached thereto,springbrackets q, adjustable to varying heights on the plate B by meansof set-screwsr, are pro vided to clamp the upper edge of the same, andwhen adjusted hold the device firmly in its position upon thetype-writing machine. desired, the lower edge of the plate 0 may itselfbe bent backward to form a hooked extremity in the direction of thehooks p, thus dispensing with the latter and with the strips 8, uponwhich they are formed, in which case the longitudinally-adjustablespring-brackets q, together with the set-screws r, may be supplanted bystationary brackets riveted directly upon the plate 0. The last-namedconstruction is preferred, as adjustability of the device when onceplaced is not an essential feature.

My invention is of great value as an accessory attachment to thetype-writer wherever continuous rapid work is necessary; but it is ofespecial importance where these machines are used by telegraph operatorsto take down messages direct from the wire.

In large cities the associated-press reports are furnished to thenewspapers as taken down on the type-writer direct from the telegraphicreceivi ng-instrument. A dozen or more copies in manifold are oftenneeded, and the greatest possible accuracy and rapidity are required toenable the operator to keep up with his work, for should the timenecessary to adjust paper by hand permit the receiving-instrument toget, say, twenty or more words ahead,

as frequently happens, it is extremely difiicult to catch up andcomplete the message without the omission of some part or the liabilityof error.

By the use of my improved device the sheets of paper, single ormanifold, are fed to the machine, edge to edge, continuously, onefollowing the other, as required, and it is not necessary on thecompletion of a page or of the manifold pages to delay for theadjustment of another supply, as it is required only to place it withinthe guides on the plate 0,

when it will fall by gravity into the proper position between thefeed-roller and cylinder. If, when one supply of the paper has passedpartly through the machine, an attendant is employed to insert a freshsupply into the feed-guide, it Will rest upon the upper edge of thatalready partly used, following it as it travels through the machine andtaking its place as it reaches the feed-roller, so that the work of theoperator need never be interrupted.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is r 1. Thecombination of a bed-plate, G, having lateral guides O, and forming afeed-guide for type-writing machines, and means, substantially asdescribed, for attaching the device to the machine, substantially as setforth.

2. Ilhe combination of a bed-plate, O, having adjustable lateral guidesO, and forming a feed-guide for type-Writing machines, and means,substantially as described, for detachably securing the device upon themachine, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a feed-guide for a type-writing machine, with abed-plate provided with lateral guides, of clamping mechanism,substantially as described, for detachably adjusting the feed-guide uponthe plate B of the machine, as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. The combination, in a feed-guide for a type-writing machine, with abed-plate provided with lateral guides, of the hooked strips 8 andadjustable clamps q, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a feed-guide for type-writing machines, the combination of abed-plate, 0, lateral adjustable flanges 0, adjustable hooked strips 8,and adjustable clamps q, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

ADDISON C. THOMAS.

In presence of- EDWARD THORPE, MASON BROSS.

